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2023-12-31-annual-report

MAGHERAHAMLET CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND

Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023

Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC105195)

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The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31 December 2021 including a statement of Assets and Liabilities at that date.

Reference and Administrative Details

Magherahamlet Presbyterian Church congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, 84 Magherahamlet Road, Ballynahinch, County Down, BT24 8JZ. Registered Charity in Northern Ireland NIC105195.

Charity Trustees

The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Mr David Whan

Mr David Barr Mr Leslie Broome Mrs Margaret Broome Dr Robert Whan

Principal Office Bearers

Minister Stated Supply Rev Alan Wilson Clerk of Session Mr David Whan Treasurer Mrs Margaret Broome Congregational Secretary Mr David Barr

Independent Examiner

Stephen McKee Heanen, Stanfield & McKee, 30 Bachelor’s Walk, Lisburn, BT28 1XN

Bankers

Ulster Bank (NI), 1A Main Street, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AP

Solicitors

Murlands (Ballynahinch), 2 Dromore Street, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AG

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MAGHERAHAMLET PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND: TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT:

The Kirk Session

The charity trustees of the congregation are the members of its Kirk Session. Under the congregation’s governing document, The Code, the book of the constitution and government of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spiritual interest of the congregation and of persons not connected with any congregation who are within its bounds. It ensures pastoral care is in place in the congregation and seeks to further the contribution of the Church to Christian witness and service in the local community. The Kirk Sessions has delegated to its Congregational Committee the temporal affairs of the congregation including administering all funds and property belonging to the congregation. Members of the Kirk Session are ex-officio members of the Congregational Committee.

The Kirk Session consists of the ordained minister and the ruling elders of the congregation. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator, the minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote.

Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held at least twice in each year.

To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the congregation a person must be a voting member and a regular attendant on its ordinances. The selection of those proposed to be called to the office can be either by the congregation or by the Kirk Session. Members are elected if they obtain two-thirds of those who vote.

Presbytery

Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate oversight of a congregation is the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends generally the spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Magherahamlet congregation of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Down Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the active ministers of congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly, ministers who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation.

The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and acting as its supreme legislative, administration and judicial authority, in dealing with all matters brought before it. The General Assembly is normally constituted during the first week in June for worship and to conduct its business. At the end of business it is dissolved. The membership of the General Assembly consists mainly of the active ministers of each congregation, retired minsters and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation.

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MAGHERAHAMLET PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND: TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE

The charitable purpose of the Congregation is the advancement of religion.

Magherahamlet Congregation of the Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Christ is grounded in the Scriptures, and exists to love and honour God through faith in His Son and by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God’s mission to our world.

The Congregations mission purpose is ‘To Know Christ and Make Him Known’ such that, by the grace of God people of all ages become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Our vision is, by the grace of God, to be an inclusive, welcoming community of Christ’s people of all ages, which:

The congregation aims to live out its Mission and Vision as a family of God’s people by being:

ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES

The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visitors are welcome to join. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is observed on three occasions during the year and all those who have been baptised and who have made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are admitted to the Lord’s Supper. The congregation holds regular Bible study meetings and has a wide range of organisations and activities including:

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MAGHERAHAMLET PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND: TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

In 2023 all activities continued as normal. All organisations met as usual. The ‘Food Angels’ continued their work. Communion was held in January, May and November using individual pre-packaged wine and wafers for the January one and returning to the normal Communion delivery from May and November.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Worship and prayer

The congregation meet each Sunday morning at 11.30am. The service is recorded in our sister church on Zoom at 10am, for those who are unable to attend in person. The option of hand sanitizing, mask wearing and social distancing are still available if desired.

Pastoral care

Members of the congregation who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age are visited on a regular basis by the minister, elders or by one of the congregation’s pastoral visitors, when this is not possible, phone calls are made. Hospital visits continued.

Mission and outreach

The congregation is situated in the midst of a rural farming community. The farming undertaken is mainly comprised of sheep, dairy and beef. Others living in the community are employed in local firms and businesses, many still maintaining farms handed down though the family. Many of those attending in the congregation travel from outside the immediate area to attend worship and the congregational organisations. The church seeks to encourage worship and outreach in the community and encourage devotion to following Christ though involving the community in its organisations and services.

The congregation supports the United Appeal for Mission which is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregations to support the wider mission of the denomination and to do mission and outreach on a denominational basis beyond what the congregation could do on its own. The United Appeal Fund provides financial support for mission personnel at home and overseas, assists congregations with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church planting, provides grant support for the upkeep of church premises, assists with the running costs of Union Theological College, the Church’s training college for ministry students, and financially supports congregations in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care.

The congregation also contributes to the denomination’s annual World Development Appeal, and other special appeals. These have included – Christian Aid; Presbyterian Children’s Society; Poppy Appeal; Local Food Bank, Daisy Lodge Children’s Cancer Centre, Turkey & Syrian Appeal and congregational members on mission work.

Presbytery

The congregation was represented at the regular meetings of Presbytery by our Convenor and / or the representative elder. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. The normal meeting schedule was back in place.

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MAGHERAHAMLET PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND: TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

General Assembly

The minister and one of our elders were nominated to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. In 2023 the Assembly was held from 21st June to 24th June, and was attended by our Stated Supply Minister and the representative Elder. As part of its responsibility the Congregational Committee maintains the church graveyard, church grounds and Congregational property on behalf of the congregation. Its aim is ensure adequate facilities for the outreach and mission of the congregation and to endeavour to meet all relevant legal requirements.

Organisations

Sunday School meets on Sunday mornings at 10:45am before the Church service. It offers age-appropriate worship and Scripture teaching to children aged 4 – 16 years. In addition to the weekly programme, the Sunday School organised a Children’s Day Service on Sunday 28 May, followed by a lunch in the Church Hall. An excursion, for the Sunday School members and their families, took place to Dublin Zoo on Saturday 29 July and a Christmas Party was held on Saturday 16 December.

G-Team is the congregation’s ministry for young people aged 10 – 16 and meets twice monthly on a Sunday morning to encourage fellowship among the youth of the church and to support them pastorally. The members are also encouraged to take an active role in the Family Services at the end of each month, including reading Bible passages and playing musical instruments.

Girls’ Brigade - Girls’ Brigade Northern Ireland has as its vision ‘to be recognised as a dynamic, relevant, Christcentred organisation, effectively reaching out to all girls to value, nurture and equip them for life.’ Our programme for this year included a variety of badge work topics such as First Aid, Fashion and there is always time for some cooking and baking. We enjoyed a variety of trips and visitors including a flower arranging workshop with Carly from Hummingbird Meadow. Carly is a previous member of the company and it was lovely to welcome her back to Magherahamlet GB. We also had a great evening with K9 Search and Rescue NI and met some wonderful volunteers and their canine friends. We held our annual Enrolment service in November 2023. We rounded 2023 off with a visit from Patricia McNeill, a previous Officer in our company. The girls made beautiful Christmas table decorations.

Wonder Women (Presbyterian Women)

Wonder Women are a Christian Group, affiliated to Presbyterian Women, whose aim is to bring together women of all ages from the community for fellowship and fun. They organise events throughout the year, usually around five or six, designed to suit all tastes. These events are open to all women regardless of age, culture or creed and are well advertised within the community. First event in February was a talk by the Carlisle Family on their visit to Uganda with New Beginnings; In March they took part in the World Day of Prayer held in the Methodist Church and in April they welcomed Ann Wilson PW Overseas Vice- President, as the speaker for their special service. In May there was a walk and talk around C.S. Lewis Square in Belfast with Lolly Spence and in June their annual Family Walk and Picnic in Castlewellan Forest Park had to be cancelled due to severe weather conditions. In September there was a Craft night, decorating ceramics and in October Beth Montgomery from Asia Link came to

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MAGHERAHAMLET PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND: TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

speak. In November there was a Family Quiz Night and in December a Visit to the Christmas event at the Ulster Folk Museum in Cultra.

Men For All Seasons

This group is made up of members from both churches, who meet approx. every quarter. A meeting point is agreed for various locations depending on the climate and suitability which is subject to weather conditions. Normally forest park walks or hill walks etc. would be arranged so that conversation can take place in an open air environment to share how God is working in lives today. This is to help build Spiritual relationships within the group and in turn become more involved within both congregations. A picnic would be shared to edify the body and also an afterword from Scriptures would be given to edify the soul.

Bowling Club

The Bowling Club meets weekly in the congregation from September through till May each year. It has a strong community focus and welcomes all from the local community. In addition to the regular weekly meetings social events are organised through the club assisting in the raising of funds and support for charity.

Bible Study

The twice monthly Midweek Bible & Prayer Group, alternating between Spa and Magherahamlet, undertook the Alpha Course from February to May. It recommenced weekly in October when the subject was 2 nd Peter - Living in the light of God’s Promises by Dave Edwins.

Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday morning, in the months between September and June, a group of women meet for mutual discipleship and encouragement. The aim has been to encourage one another in seeking to apply God's will and ways into every area of busy and often stressful lives, reaching for the goal of becoming more like Christ in all relationships. The King’s Choir by Christopher Ash and Alison Mitchell was discussed as well as some personal devotions and then onto Love your Church by Tony Merida.

Food Angels

This is an informal ministry which operates as part of our pastoral care programme. Meals are provided at times of stress, for example at times of ill-health, recovery or bereavement, as well as on happier, but no less demanding, times such as the birth of a child. This service continued throughout 2021..

Midweek Prayer Meeting.

A Prayer meeting is held in Spa Presbyterian church for both congregations on a Wednesday morning on a weekly basis during term time. Held in person or on Zoom.

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MAGHERAHAMLET PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND: TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

Holiday/Youth Bible Week

During the last week of July a Holiday Bible Club for P1-P6 boys and girls and a Youth Bible Week for those aged P7-Year 14 was jointly organised with members from Spa Presbyterian Church and held in the Arnold Hall, Spa. Several of the older teens from both congregations look a leading role in delivering the Holiday Bible Club.

Volunteers

The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on committees and helping with organisations and other church activities.

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the public benefit requirement by providing benefit to its members and the general public by making known the Christian Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through the advancement of religion.

The direct benefits which flow from the purposes of the Church include the gaining of an understanding in Christian beliefs as set out in the Bible and in the Church’s subordinate standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shorter and Larger Catechisms) leading to spiritual and moral development and opportunities for response to Bible teaching. In turn, this framework leads to practical expressions of Christian beliefs and standards in the local community such as through the care of those in need (including the sick, disabled and bereaved).

Generally the above benefits are delivered locally by congregations and their members, or are facilitated through presbyteries or are organised and delivered centrally. Local delivery is facilitated by central resources in almost all cases. Public access is made known through the use of noticeboards, printed material, press advertisement, and social media or in other ways.

The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the services and informal and ad-hoc feedback from members, their families, and members of the public.

The purpose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowing from our purpose is related to Ministers, Missionaries, Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits as a result of their holding office or employment. However, this is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficiaries of this purpose are members, their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in direct and indirect contact with, the community in which pastoral services are provided and other communities throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwide which benefit from our engagement with and support for both Christian and other secular organisations, charities and individual members of the public.

The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charity Commission’s Public benefit requirement statutory guidance.

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MAGHERAHAMLET PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND: TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (cont’d)

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The congregation’s main source of income is members’ contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 135 contributors during the year [136 in previous year, 2022] donating a total of £26,906 (£25,230 in previous year, 2022)

Total Income of the congregation during the year was £67,437 compared to £62,795 in the previous year. The increase being mainly due to more donations received. Total expenditure increased from £47,133 in 2022 to £47,289.

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements of the congregation in accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accounting practice.

As the congregations total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 64(3) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 to prepare a receipts and payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the congregation’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its financial position. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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